


Dawned

by LoriliaUniverse



Category: My Time At Portia (Video Game)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Original Character(s), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Suicidal Thoughts, War, dark imagery/themes, literally everyone in portia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:46:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24179170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoriliaUniverse/pseuds/LoriliaUniverse
Summary: Dawn Rossen came to Portia seeking peace, and a chance to begin again. But her past haunts her every thought and she is reminded of it in everything she does. Thankfully she finds there are people in Portia who can relate.
Relationships: Aadit/Female Builder (My Time At Portia)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 18





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! When I first played My Time at Portia I played as my dnd character Dawn, who had been through some shit. It was sort of an epilogue of her story, since that campaign ended, that I fit into the Portia story. Anyways this is absolutely self indulgent but I hope ya'll like it.

Portia was so peaceful. More peaceful than anywhere Dawn had been ever before, and she had been a great many places. Picking up the pieces of her old life and trying to settle in her father’s workshop was such a strange experience after everything she had seen in the last few years. Like she was interrupted in the middle of reading one book and picked up an entirely different one. The change was not unwelcome, but it took some getting used to. Settling into new routines, seeing new faces, and waking up at night to new nightmares.

The people of Portia helped with that process, well most of them anyway. Everyone had been very nice to her, with the exception of Higgins for some reason beyond Dawn’s understanding or care. This was her new home, and no amount of unfriendly competition was going to take that away from her. Besides, she dealt with people like him before and she was determined to be amiable if nothing else. The workshop needed to be fixed up a little, and that was taking up all of her time for the moment along with the daily commissions from the guild; but these days it seemed as if time was all she had. As unbelievable to her as it might seem, life went on for Dawn Rossen.

And with that life came the crushing weight of day to day life. She had thought that once she got away from it all that she would have a better time sleeping at night, but she could still see them in everything she did. When she came to Portia she had hung up her sword and shield, swore never to use them again unless absolutely necessary, but everyday she walked past them seeing her reflection. Seeing the scars that where stretched across her face, brutal reminders of how close she had come with death on multiple occasions.

She thought it funny how she was always told she didn’t look her age, didn’t look like a swordsman, and now she had an unmistakable badge of the life she had lived. Her eyes, a pale pink she inherited from her mother, now forever overshadowed by a scar that ran down her face. The color of her eyes, her sword and shield now retired, the only things of her mother she had left.

Meanwhile the only things her father had ever given her was her curly pink hair, tan skin, and this busted old workshop he foolishly called his “Legacy”. He made it very clear to Dawn in his letter that he cared more for this place than his daughter he left behind to explore the world. The only reason why she was here was because she had no where else to go.

Everyday there was something new to do, at least. Something to distract her. Whether it be commissions, fixing the house, or working on personal projects. Or sometimes it was a letter from the Mayor, asking for Dawn to come see him in his office.

She only spoke to the Mayor of Portia twice before, once to introduce herself, then again when she needed to get his signature on her permit for the workshop. She thought Mayor Gale to be a pleasant man, despite his butler Russo glaring at her suspiciously. Probably wondering what kind of life she lived to leave her so scarred, both him and Gale held themselves like soldiers but Dawn had dealt with more than her fair share of soldiers in her life.

“Ah good morning Dawn, thank you for stopping by so quickly please take a seat.” He said as she walked into his office. He had a pair of reading glasses on and was pouring over some papers which he quickly shuffled and put to the side as she took a seat opposite of him. “I’ve had my hands full lately trying to figure out who the town thief is.”

“A town thief?” Dawn asked, not being able to help herself.

“Yeah, haven't you heard? Someone has been stealing from our folks for the last couple of weeks now. Arlo has been heading the investigation. But it's strange, he's not stealing anything essential, just random trinkets.” He explained. “Anyway, enough about the thief, I asked you to come because I want to further develop the cave on Amber Island.”

The next day Dawn headed out across the bridge she built, battery in tow, and bumped into one of the Hulu brothers.

“I'm surveying this cave. The Mayor wants me to set up a haunted cave here.” He explained. He looked up at Dawn, eyes lingering on her scars. “You look like you can handle yourself, but I should warn you it’s still dangerous inside.” Dawn suddenly regretted telling the Mayor she would do this.

“What’s in the cave?”

“Some monsters infested the cave. I haven’t been inside yet but I could hear them from the outside.”

“Shouldn’t the Civil Corps clear it out before we do anything in there?” She asked.

“Don’t think they could take the time, with that thief running around.” He answered. “If you don’t want to go in take it up with the Mayor.”

“No,” She blurted out, not really thinking. “Do me a favor and watch this battery, I’ll be right back.”

Dawn headed back to her workshop, cursing at herself the entire way there. She walked inside her, now fixed, home and looked up at the sword and shield she hung up on the wall. Her shield, Aurora, was white and gold. A large tower shield that covered her entire body when wielded, with a rose glided in gold upon its face. Her sword, Daybreak, had a golden hilt. Its blade was mutli-colored, going through the colors of the sunrise. She reached up to take them down before something occurred to her.

It was her dependence on these weapons that cost her everything. Her shield especially. She got too comfortable being safe from any attacks with Aurora in her grasp, it was her lack of skill with Daybreak that killed them. It was her fault. She wasn’t good enough. So she swore right then and there to be better.

Dawn snapped away from her mother’s weapons and marched outside to her workbench. She knew how to make a crude replacement for Daybreak, a sword that she could train with. This time without her shield to protect her. Until she felt she was worthy of holding it again. It took more time than she thought, and it definitely wasn’t perfect, but it would do for now.

When she returned to the cave, Liuwa was a little annoyed with her for taking so long to come back, but she retrieved the battery and took a deep breath. Steeling herself, she walked inside. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> how write action

By the time she made it to the hermit snaillob she had gotten the hang of her new sword. The snaillobs and bandirats made for good practice before she had to go toe to toe with the hermit, but it was nothing she couldn’t handle. She wondered if the Civil Corps knew about the amount of bandirats that where hiding out in this cave, she knew of the creatures and their habit of stealing stuff to hoard in their nests.When she activated the generator and a new pathway opened, closing the way she came in. Three more bandirats rushed in, rearing to attack as soon as they saw her. 

“Shit.” She said before rushing them. 

  
Dawn made short work of the remaining bandirats and came across the items she recalled people reporting missing. She put as much of it as she could in her pack, knowing that people in town would appreciate their stuff back. It came to no surprise to her that they took this stuff, and Mayor Gale would be happy to know that he killed two birds with one stone by sending her down here. 

She didn’t realize how much she missed this. The simplicity of dealing with aggressive creatures like the bandirats and helping people. That’s why she got involved in the first place, to help people. But it was quiet and dark in the cave, and soon her thoughts turned from reminiscing to regretting. That is until she saw the bandirat prince.  
The prince rose from his sofa and tossed aside the meat he was eating. Dawn froze where she stood, hoping that maybe he wouldn’t see her, but it was too late. The prince squeaked and his two guards and then turned to Dawn and looked her right in her eyes, and hissed. 

“Oh fuck,” Was all she could say before the two bandirats rushed her, their weapons raised. Dawn rolled out of the way and the two just barely missed her. She swung her sword out and lunged at one while he was still recovering, slicing him open. The other quickly got back on his feet and lunged again at Dawn, this time striking her with the blunt end of his weapon knocking her down to her feet. Prone, Dawn rolled across the floor to avoid being stabbed through her chest, getting up in time for the bandirat prince to try to stab at her with his fork. 

Dawn took her sword and slid it into the fork, using the momentum to shove it out of her direction. She then slashed at the prince, cutting him across his chest. The last guard came up behind her, jumping onto her shoulders and choking her with his weapon. Clinging to breath, Dawn plugged her sword into the ground to throw the creature off of her, it hit the stone wall with a cracking sound. Grabbing her sword, she charged the prince and with one swoop sliced off his head.

Covered in blood and guts, she went to the bandirats to make sure they were dead. She wiped the blood off of her face and thought of how lucky she was that none of it was her own. Then she looked at the couch the bandirat prince was sitting in, now covered in gore, and realized it was Presley’s.

“Dawn?” Arlo asked, shocked at her sudden appearance out of the door the Civil Corps where about to enter. “By the light, what happened to you? Are you hurt?” Dawn was covered in blood, her hair and clothes soaked. 

“I’m perfectly fine, can’t say the same for the bandirats though.” She said, taking off her jacket and using the inside to soak up some of the blood in her hair. “I went inside the Amber Island cave to fix the generator and had to fight my way through to get to this side.” 

“The cave complex extended all the way to here? And you defeated all of the bandirats?” Sam said, looking at Dawn with a new appreciation. “Wow.” 

“So that means the bandirats where the thieves. I knew it! They're been crowding around our town for a while now.” Remington commented. 

“Yeah, I think I got most of the stuff back that they stole in my bag. But Presley’s probably going to want to just get another couch.” Dawn said. 

“We were following some leads that brought us here, just about to go inside as well.” Arlo said, walking towards Dawn. “Are you sure you’re all right? We could get Dr. Xu to examine you.” 

“No, don’t bother. It’s just a lot of blood. I didn’t get hit at all.” She said. “I should go wash it off before it really starts to smell.” Dawn told them, and walked past the Civil Corps members with a sly smile on her face. There’s nothing quite like being underestimated. 

A few hours later Arlo knocked on her door, wanting to check on her. Dawn answered, rid of blood. Her hair still drying. As far as Arlo could tell, she was perfectly fine. Didn’t look like she fought her way through bandirats just a few hours prior leaving nothing but their mangled corpses behind her.  


“Hey,” She said looking at him curiously. “Something wrong?”  


“No, I just thought I should check to see if you where all right considering what you went through today.” He said. Dawn opened the door more, now standing with her arms crossed.  


“I told you, I’m fine, really.”  


“I can see that. The Mayor wanted to thank you for what you did today so here’s a bonus on top of the generator job.” Arlo explained, handing her a sack of gols. “I just wanted to say if you ever get tired of being a builder, I think you would make a great Civil Corps officer.” Dawn stifled a laugh and relaxed, leaning against her doorframe.  


“Thanks, but I came to Portia for some peace.” Dawn joked. “Not to get involved in stuff like this.”  


“Well I’m just sorry you had to then I guess.” Then Arlo had a thought. “Hey, Dawn, you’re new in town,”  


“Yes, hello Officer Arlo I’m Dawn Rossen the new builder.” Dawn said sarcastically. “We’ve done this before right?”  


“No, well yes, but what I meant was…” He realized he sounded like an idiot. “Have you been to the Round Table yet? Django and Sonia run the place, it’s the town hot spot you could say.”  


“Uhh, no I haven’t. Been really busy with the workshop, you know.”  


“You should come on down tonight, I’m sure there will be more than one towns person who will want to hear your story. Don’t be surprised if Mei or Erwa come over to interview you for Portia Times.” Dawn smiled at Arlo, she appreciated his attempts to make her feel welcome.  


“Yeah, that sounds great. I’ll try to make it there tonight.” She said. Arlo waved her goodbye then headed back to town.

Dawn kept to her word and made her way to the Round Table that night. As soon as she walked in she figured out that Arlo wasn’t exaggerating when he said it was the town’s hot spot. Half of Portia was in there, drinking, eating, and playing the games that Django had in the back. Before Dawn got her bearings she heard her name being called from across the tavern.  


“Dawn!” Sam called her from over the noise. “Come sit with me, I’ll buy you a round.” She said flipping Sonia a coin which the waitress caught with a flourish and a sly smile. Dawn made her way over to the booth where Sam, Phyllis, and Alice where all sitting.  


“Ladies,” Dawn said, a smile on her face, before sitting next to Sam. “So this is where the town goes every night, always thought the streets cleared out fast.”  
“Just wait until you taste Django’s cooking, Dawn. Then you’ll understand.” Phyllis said.  


“Well anything’s better than what I can do at home.”  


“Not much of a cook?” Phyllis asked.  


“No, I’ve never had the patience with it.”  


“But she is a hell of a fighter,” Sam chirped in. “Look at you, not a scratch after all of those bandirats.”  


“Yeah, well, they didn’t give me much of a choice.”  


“What I wanna know, Dawn Rossen, is where you learned to fight like that?” Sam asked. “Where you from?”  


“I was born in Atara,” Dawn answered, wanting to avoid the first part of the question. “Traveled around the Free Cities a bit, before ending up in Barnarock.” Alice was intrigued now, she looked up from her drink to Dawn.  


“You’ve traveled? Where have you been?” She asked.  


“Well now I’ve seen every Free City, along with parts of Ethea.”  


“That’s more than a bit of traveling don’t you think?” Phyllis said, looking at Dawn quizzically. “Any particular reason for it?”  


“No, not really. Wanted to see all I could when I was younger, I guess.” Dawn answered, a half-truth. “I’m done with traveling though, I’m plenty satisfied with Portia.”  


“Sorry for the wait ladies,” Sonia said interrupting them as she brought the three women their food. “And what can I get for you Dawn? Django said first meals on the house.” Dawn looked back to Django, at the bar, and he raised his own glass to her.  


“I’ll take whatever Django’s proudest of.” She answered. Dawn had only spoken to Django once, but she already liked him. She could tell he was a good man just by the way he held himself. Not like a soldier. Sonia nodded and left, leaving the table to their own devices once more.  


“Do you and Django know each other?” Sam asked, watching the way Django lingered on Dawn and the glances they exchanged.  


“No, but I think we understand one another.”  


“Hey Dawn!” Arlo shouted from the Round Table entrance. Remington in tow. He walked over to their table and smiled. “Well it’s great to see you could make it. Did Sam already ask to spar with you?”  


“I was getting around to it, thanks Arlo.” Sam said, annoyed.  


“If you need help with anything else, I’ll be at the bar.” Arlo replied slyly, excusing himself with a smirk.  


“What’s your favorite thing you've seen?” Alice asked, taking advantage of the silence that settled after Arlo left.  


“That’s a hard question. I’ve seen a lot of good things.”  


“Give us your top three then, if you can’t decide.” Phyllis chimed in. Dawn took a minute to think, sipping her winter punch.  


“The sky ships are a given since they remind me of home. Winter in Grace. Autumns in Highwind.” Dawn started.  


“I was born in Highwind,” Phyllis said. “How long has it been since you’ve been there?”  


“Uh, a little more than four years ago probably.”  


“Isn’t Nora from Highwind too?” Sam asked, trying to recall.  


“Yes, her family owns the electric company there.” Phyllis answered, in a lower voice as if it was a secret.  


“That’s an important family.” Dawn said, remembering meeting some of the family members. “What about you two? Where are you guys from originally?”  


“Portia, born and raised.” Sam answered quickly, very apparently proud of that fact.  


“Lucien.” Alice answered, and Dawn met her eyes for a moment. Then Alice realized something. “You traveled a lot, Dawn, so you must have seen your fair share of monsters.” She said, choosing her words carefully and eyeing up Dawn’s scars across her face and neck.  


“Yeah, I did.” Dawn said simply.  


“Ever think about joining the Civil Corps?” Sam asked.  


“I did once, a long time ago.”  


“You could still.”  


“I think I’ll see how this builder thing goes first.” Dawn said with a smile. “Don’t want to abandon a promising career path before it begins.”  


“To each her own,” Sam said. “You ever feel like sparring I’m your girl.”  


“I’ll keep it in mind, thanks Sam.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

Dawn spent a couple of hours at the Round Table, getting to know the people in Portia a little bit better; they all seemed like good folk. After she was done with her dinner, the girls invited her to play the games in the back Django had set up. She was god awful at slots, fair at darts, but the balloon popping game was where she shined. While she was playing Dawn gathered a fair number of people wondering over to watch. Including the tall lumberjack man Aadit she had only spoken to once before to introduce herself. Dawn thought he was strange when she first met him, he reminded her of one of the people she used to travel with before coming to Portia. Before they said their goodbyes for the night, Dawn pulled Sam aside.  


“Hey Sam, what do you know about that lumberjack man?” She asked in a hushed tone.  


“Who? Dawa?” Sam asked loudly in the middle of Peach Plaza. Dawn shushed her quickly.  


“No not him, the tall one. Aadit.” She corrected, trying her best not to sound suspicious.  


“Oh, he’s new here. Keeps to himself, mostly.” Sam started, trying to think of something else to say about him. “He likes to take walks around town every so often, wait—”  
“What?”  


“Why do you care?” Sam asked, a smile already appearing on her face. “You into the strong silent type Dawn?”  


“Thanks, Sam. I’ll be going home now.” Dawn said and started to walk off, trying to hide how she was blushing.  


“No, no, wait up Dawn!” She called after her. Dawn sighed but decided to stop walking away. Sam came up from behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. “I heard that they are in need of a builder to fix their wall to the Tree Farm, might want to go over in the morning and ask.” Sam pat her shoulder then left, whistling to herself as she walked away.

The next morning was a haze. She got up to a letter from Dawa asking for her help with the Tree Farm, then a few minutes later as she was about to leave she was stopped in her tracks by two strange men. The shorter one, dressed in an ill-fitting suit, addressed Dawn.  


“How do, new citizen! I'm Agent T, and this is my partner, Agent H.” He said, motioning to his larger friend. “We are a part of the Free Cities' Debt Collection Agency.”  


“Alright,” Dawn answered, crossing her arms. “Can I help you?”  


“Yes, it has come to our attention that you are the offspring of the former owner of this workshop. Is that correct?”  


“Yes, that is correct.”  


“Oh, good! Your father accrued 50000 gols in debt from his business. Since we cannot find him, the debt has fallen to you - as his closest kin.” He said. “Because I'm a nice guy, I'll give you a week to come up with that money. If you don't pay up, we'll take his house as collateral. If you try to run, we will inform the Civil Corps.”  


“Now just wait a minute here,” Dawn started but was promptly interrupted by Agent T.  


“That's all. You have a good day now!” He said and ran off his friend in tow. As they left Dawn faltered for a moment, wondering if she should chase after them, but decided to give them the benefit of the doubt. 

After that, her plans for the day changed. She went to set the cutter to work on the boards she needed to fix the fence while she went into town to find the Mayor and ask for his advice. She found him in his office once more, glasses on reading though some sort of report.  


“Good morning Mayor,” She said taking a seat across from him. He looked up at her, surprised to see her.  


“Ah, Dawn, good morning.” He said. “It is good you are here I was just about to send for you. But first, is there an issue I can help you with?”  


“A few minutes ago, I was approached by some individuals claiming to be representatives of a debt collection agency. They said my father owed them 50,000 gols, and that since he is unavailable the debt would fall onto me.” Dawn explained. “They threatened to take the workshop or get the Civil Corps involved if I do not pay by the end of the week.”  


“Debt Collector's Agency? There is such a thing... but I didn't know your father had any debt. I have a suggestion; the next time they drop by, send them to me so we can work out a deal. You've worked hard for Portia, so it's the least we can do.” He suggested. “You should also have a talk with Martha, she had to deal with some debt when her husband passed. Maybe she can give you some legal pointers?”  


“Alright, I’ll do that.” Dawn said. “What was it that you needed to speak to me about?”  


“Ah, well you see I just gotten a letter from a member of the Council, Councilman Orion Marsh.” He began. Dawn immediately froze up, she didn’t think that they would take an interest in what she did now. “I just wanted to give you a heads up before word gets around town.”  


“What did Orion tell you?” She asked. “I thought my business with the Council was concluded. I’m no longer of any use to them.”  


“It was a notice, more than anything, of an member of the Flying Pigs relocating to Portia.”  


“Former member.” Dawn corrected. “I’m retired.”  


“Yes, of course.” He hesitated. “Well I just thought you should know before the entire town does.”  


Dawn considered her options. She could leave, right now, go somewhere the Council really couldn’t find her. Live on her own out in the wilderness, build herself a nice home. She could go back to Barnarock, or Ethea, where the Council had little jurisdiction. But then she remembered why she came here in the first place. The Free Cities where her home, and while she couldn’t stand to be in Atara, Portia was every bit as wonderful. The idea of rebuilding her life here, making something out of the workshop her pa never could get off the ground, and never having to take orders again; appealed to her. The people here where good, honest. She didn’t want to give that up. She knew that her past would always be with her, she would always carry it like a rock strapped to her back, but she didn’t want to have it effect the way she moved forward. She was tired of being frightened for the future, living in the past, she wanted to enjoy the present while she could.  


“Thank you, Mayor,” She said. “I hope this doesn’t change anything with my relations to Portia or you.”  


“Of course not, why would it?” He asked, leaning in on his elbows. “Why are you so ashamed of this? You should wear it like a badge of honor, I know I would.”  


“Thank you, but I must be going now.” She finished and promptly left his office to find Martha.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

“I'm so sorry to hear that you're dealing with your father's debt! Though from what I can remember, he didn't seem like the type who'd be in debt...” Martha, the local bakery owner, said. “Anyway, I've had to deal with the debt agency before. The point man around Portia is actually Mr. Isaac, so they're very easy to deal with and very fair. Don't worry too much!”

“Mr. Isaac? That’s not who told me about the debt,” Dawn said, starting to understand why she felt the need to chase after the two “Agents” of the Debt Collection Agency.

“No, that can't be right... unless something happened that I'm not aware of, Mr. Isaac should still be the sole representative in our town. Maybe you should talk with him. He'll set the record straight I reckon.” Martha suggested. Dawn thanked her and left to find Isaac.

After speaking to Isaac it became clear to Dawn that she was being conned. But she had an idea of how to deal with that when they came back to ‘collect' at the end of the week. A much more pressing issue was weighing on her mind.

She didn’t know how long she had until everyone in the town knew, or what exactly the Councilman had told the Mayor about her, but what she did know is that she had a job to do. Still, she would’ve liked to had at least a few more weeks of anonymity. But she had at least a few more hours of peace, and she decided to spend them fixing the Tree Farm's fence.

“Ah, Dawn, good morning.” Dawa greeted as she approached the Tree Farm from the road, wooden boards slung over her shoulder. “I see you got my letter, I’ll show you where we need the repairs.” He said and began to lead her inside of the Tree Farm.

“What did happen to your fence anyway?” Dawn asked as they walked further into the forest.

“It just fell apart, too old I think. It’s been a long time since anyone has had to repair it.” He explained. They walked until they came to the spot in the fence that needed to be fixed, where Aadit was cutting down some smaller trees. “Ah, Dawn have you met Aadit yet?”

“Yes, we met in town when I first moved in. It’s good to see you again.” Dawn answered.

“It’s good to see you too Dawn, I was just clearing the area so that nothing would be in your way. Figured it would make your job a little easier.” He explained, resting his axe against the fence.

“Oh, thanks.” Dawn turned to Dawa. “I’ll get started right away, I don’t think it’ll take long looking at the repairs I need to do.” Dawn laid her wooden boards on the ground and began to ready her hammer.

“Alright, I’ll be near the house come see me when you’re done for your pay.” He said and walked off. Aadit turned to her.

“Don’t mind me, I’ll just finish up here and be out of your hair.” He said picking up his axe again.

“I appreciate it Aadit, hardly anyone ever thinks to do that sort of stuff to make my job easier.” 

“It’s nothing really, needed to be done anyway really.” There was a few moments of silence between them while they both got to work. “How are you settling into Portia?” He asked.

“It’s been a bumpy transition, but I think I’m finally starting to get a grasp on routines here.” She answered. “You where the new person in town before I came right? How was it for you?”

“Sometimes I feel like I’m still trying to get used to routines here, but more or less the same.” He said. “Is there any reason in particular you chose to settle here?”

“My pa gave me his old workshop, so I figured Portia was as good a place as any. Plus it’s extraordinarily peaceful here, especially at night.” Dawn answered. “I think the beauty of this place could rival anything I’ve ever seen.”

“There’s a very pretty river just past the Tree Farm, when you have time you should go see it.” He said.

“I’ll try to make the time.” Aadit gathered the bits of wood and fiber that the shrubs he cut down left.

“Good luck with the fence.” He said and strolled off. 

Dawn finished the fence and collected her pay from Dawa, thankful for the distraction and work. When she got home she saw a familiar Civil Corps Officer waiting there for her. He approached as soon as he caught sight of her.

“Is it true Dawn?” Arlo asked, walking alongside her as she continued down the path to her workshop.

“Is what true?” She asked back, not prepared for this conversation to happen so soon.

“You being a member of the Flying Pigs?” He clarified. That wasn’t the response Dawn was expecting.

“Uh, yeah, ex-member really.” Dawn said. “I’m retired, officially.”

“Why would anyone retire from the Flying Pigs?” Arlo asked, not waiting for a response he continued. “I’ve been trying to get into the Flying Pigs my whole life, every autumn Mali comes to oversee how the Civil Corps are doing and every autumn I take the test for the Flying Pigs and fail.”

“Mali is the representative for Portia?” Dawn repeated, more to herself than as a question to Arlo. “Shit.”

“You know Mali?” He asked. 

“Yeah I owe her a couple of favors, and a drink.” Dawn said, trying to remember whether or not she made good on that drink  
.  
“Dawn, I know we don’t know one another very well yet but I want you to train me. You passed the test for the Flying Pigs, you have something to teach me.” Arlo said. “With your help I can finally join their ranks and help do real good. Right real wrongs.”

“Arlo I’m retired. If you want someone to train you ask Django, I’m not the right person for this.” Dawn said, trying to be as nice as she could as she walked through the gates of her home and started towards the door.

“Why not?” He asked, standing outside of her gate.

“Because I’m done with that part of my life.” She answered and went inside of her home, locking the world out, if only for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

Walking through town in the morning was worse than walking through a cave full of bandirats. At least she could punch the rats. But she could do nothing with the stares she received, the whispering to one another, and the people diving out of her way like she was going to explode at any moment. Dawn couldn’t take it. She got done with her business fast and high tailed it to the Tree Farm, where she could be productive in peace and maybe take her mind off of everything. 

"Dawn," A familiar voice called to her while she was taking a break from cutting down trees. She turned to see Aadit, his own axe turning in his hands. He looked nervous, which made Dawn nervous. "I know we don't really know each other, but I, well I was wondering, if I could ask you a sort of personal question?" He asked, tripping over his words.

"Uhm, I guess." She replied, her mind racing with all of the possible things he could want to ask her. He took a couple of seconds to compose himself, not daring to walk closer towards her. Just then Dawn had an idea. "There's a river behind the farm, right? The one you mentioned to me. I wanted to see it before it got dark. You have time to walk there?"  
This caught Aadit off guard. Although the more he thought of it, he figured it would be best to try to shake off his nerves before his question.

"Yes, yes I do." He said, leaning his axe against a nearby tree trunk. Dawn rose up from the stump she was sitting on, strapping her sword to her back once more, but leaving her other things in her satchel on the ground. Aadit noticed before that she never went anywhere without her sword strapped to her back, but now he knew why. "I'm sure you know the rumors of who you are being whispered around town…"

"You didn't strike me as the rumor type."

"Usually I'm not, but I overheard somebody talking about what you'd done in the Round Table." Dawn nodded. "But what I want to ask you doesn't have to do with any of that." That made her stop for a moment, but she continued walking still.

"Well what did you want to ask me then?"

"How are you adjusting?" He asked. Dawn fully stopped at that and turned to him. Her fantastical light pink eyes scanning him thoroughly, her features softening and a smile breaking out on the edges of her lips. 

"Wow, I wasn't expecting that at all." She answered honestly. "I uhm, don't know. How do you think I'm adjusting?"

"You still look as if you are waiting for a disruption to the peace." Aadit said, not fully thinking about his answer. "I… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything that was rude of me." Dawn put a hand on his shoulder.

"No. You're right and I needed to hear it." She assured him. "I asked for your opinion, didn't I? I wanted to hear the truth, not some pretty white lie." He nodded slowly, and the two continued their walk. 

They eventually came to the large river separating the Tree Farm from the Somber Marsh. The water glistened in the light of the midday sun, shining like diamonds floated across its surface. There was a soft spring breeze moving the trees branches lazily, the tallest grass dancing in the wind. There was such a peace to Portia, and it poured out of every inch of this place. Then just beyond that, the skyscrapers still stood tall in the marsh. Harsh reminders of the old world and the scars they left on the Earth. Not unlike the scars upon Dawn's face and how they were reminders of things she would rather not be reminded of. How they were at ruins like those ones in the distance, how they weren't expecting heavy resistance, how their bodies where mangled past recognition, how lucky she was told she was for walking out with only scars, how she thought sometimes that they were the lucky ones; not her. Then she noticed that Aadit was looking at her.

"You alright?" He asked, not looking away. She reached out to put her hand on his shoulder again, this time not to comfort him but to steady herself. To remind herself that he was real, that she was real, that this moment was real. He put his hand on hers, helping her get her bearings once more.

"Yeah. I'm alright." She said, unsure of it herself.

"It's okay not to be." He said, his features soft and steady. "It's not easy, going from the things you've seen and been through to the quiet of Portia. The quiet, when unaccustomed to it, is dangerous. I know just how deafening the silence can be." Dawn could feel her eyes watering, so she pulled away and wiped them away before she did something she regretted. She turned back around to the cornered look on Aadit's face and returned a sad small smile.

"You running away from something too Aadit?" She asked.

"When I first came to Portia, Dawa told me that there are only two types of people in Portia. The ones that were born here, and the ones that are avoiding something." He said. 

"That puts the both of us in the same boat." Dawn laughed.

"Dawa's not wrong."

"You are not the first to come to Portia looking for peace, and you most certainly will not be the last, but that is not something to be ashamed of Dawn." He said. She nodded slowly and looked back to the marsh, looming over both of them. 

"There is a saying, in Lucien, those who have been forged in flames cannot be burned by them." She looked back to Aadit, who was now at her side looking at the marsh with her. For a tall lumberjack, he was surprisingly quiet. "But I don't feel fireproof." Aadit nodded, both of them still turned to the marsh.

"These days hardly anything is." He said. "But people were never meant to be fireproof." He offered his arm, and Dawn accepted it. A silence fell over them as they both took in the scenery. 

She took a deep breath and calmed herself down. Remembering that she had commissions to fill, things to get done. It's good to have something to do again, something to wake up for, rather than the idleness she couldn't stand while she was recovering. 

He caught small glimpses of her, working up his courage to sneak another. She looked lost in thought, and he figured that it wasn't a bad thing for her to be right now. The scars on her face, one across her right eye, claw marks on her left cheek, and two on her left forehead that she tries to keep hidden beneath her hair; they looked so much worse from up close. He was thankful that his own scars were not as visible.

“I should get back to my workshop,” Dawn said after a few minutes of them staring at the view in silence together. “But thank you, Aadit.” They let go of one another, as Dawn no longer needed it. He nodded and they walked back to the Tree Farm together.

“If you ever need someone to talk to, Dawn,” Aadit begun. “I’ve been told I’m a good listener.” Dawn smiled, looking back at him, understanding. 

“I’ll keep it in mind.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not gonna lie this was a hard chapter to write, that's why I haven't updated in a bit.

The next day was easier. The day after that was easier. Slowly the week faded away from her. Dawn busied herself in her work. There was always something to do, and that she was very thankful for. When she did have a spare moment to think she thought of the beauty of Portia. The gentle wind and the spring flowers blooming amongst the tall grass. The night’s sky filled with stars, the moon lighting up the town. Dawn thought of Portia most nights before she went to sleep, but on bad nights she hummed herself to sleep with the songs Lyra would sing to them on the road. On bad nights she would think of the ruins, of the abominations of the old world hidden within them. The whirling of blades or tings of metal against metal, the echoes of an entire civilization hanging in the still air. 

On the worse nights she thought about the beast. The feeling of its metal claws slashing into her skin, penetrating her armor like it was nothing but cloth. The screams of her friends as they fell, one by one, to the ground bleeding garbled messes. She stood there, unable to hold Aurora and Daybreak at the same time, so she chose her shield; of course, she chose her shield. Readied herself then taunted it to turn towards her, away from Ji who was being protected by a still standing Ki. Inigo and Lyra where already dead by that point, their corpses lying next to one another on the other side of the room. Dawn screamed at the beast, letting the adrenaline overtake her and rushed it. Face to face with the abomination she raised her shield at it, hiding behind like she always has, but it reached out to her grabbing hold of Aurora and yanking it of out her grasp. Defenseless and hurt Dawn accepted death. A blinding flash of light, red-hot pain, and then darkness. That is when she usually woke up.

Breathing heavy and grasping at her sheets Dawn shot straight up in her bed. Her whole body shivering, she wiped her forehead expecting blood but instead all was on her hand was sweat. She checked her arms and legs first, looking at the places where the scars have long since healed. Then got up from her bed and turned on a small lamp in her room, carrying it to a mirror and checking the scars on her face last. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves down but failing miserably. Instead she went back to her bed, wrapped the blankets around herself and began to hum the songs her mother would sing to her to fall asleep at night. 

With the morning sun came calmness. The gentle light creeping into Dawn’s window and her wide awake still from the nightmare. Tired of being in bed she went to get ready for her busy day. First thing in the morning she had to deliver a finished commission to Merlin, in the Research Center, she wanted 3 bronze bars for whatever research she was doing at the time. When Petra spoke to Dawn, she could barely understand the technical language she used; and was completely lost when Merlin started to explain some of the things in the Research Center to her when they were first introduced. After that she had to get another commission going, hopefully get whatever that was done by tonight so that tomorrow she could do it over again. And again. And again. Occupying her mind with work so that it never wandered.

“Good morning builder,” said the short rat-like man dressed in a suit who Dawn now knew was Tuss. “Do you have the money to pay off your debts?” She almost felt sorry for the man who caught her in a bad mood; almost.

“About that Agent T, was it? Or do you prefer Tuss?” She asked, not bothering to wait for an answer. “Unlike the Civil Corps the Flying Pigs do not take criminals such as yourselves lightly, and as a member I am authorized to enforce the law as I see fit.”

“I told ya she was one of em scary ones!” Huss said, hiding behind his smaller friend.

“I suggest you two scram before I lose my patience.” Dawn said, unsheathing her sword and planting it in the ground to lean on it. That sent the pair running for the hills, and she was able to get back to her day. She took two whole steps to her workbench before she heard her name being called and turned around to see Arlo standing there, his arms crossed.

“I had heard from Martha that Tuss and Huss where trying to scam you, and I thought I would show up the day they came to chase them off.” He said. “But I see that you already accomplished that yourself.”

“Didn’t mean anything by it Arlo.”

“I know you can handle yourself, but you should have let us know, at the very least.” He said. “This kind of thing is what the Civil Corps are here for.” Dawn felt a tinge of guilt.  
“You’re right,” She said. “Sorry about that I’ve had a rough week.”

“If you need to blow off steam, I’m sure anyone in the Civil Corps would love to spar with you,” He said. “Or there’s always the Round Table. Django seemed to like you.”  
“Thanks, Arlo. But I think I just need to get back to work.”

“Alright Dawn, I’ll see you around.” He said and walked back into town. Dawn couldn’t help but to feel bad, Arlo and the rest of the Civil Corps have been nothing but kind to her. Despite her pride they where only trying to do their jobs, they don’t need someone like her to come and diminish their work. 

Dawn thought about what Aadit said to her the other day while she was cutting planks of wood on her saw. That people weren’t meant to be fireproof. She wondered what he had been through, who he saw burn. But she knew better than to ask. There where only two types of people who came to Portia, and Dawn wondered what it was that he was running from. She was sure what she was running from was clear as day to someone like him. The only reminders someone needed of her deeds plain as day on her face and arms. The Mayor said to her that she should be proud, the Council said to her that she should be proud, but how could she?

It was her fault, what happened to the Valiant. To Lyra, Inigo, and Ji. She was supposed to be their leader, she was supposed to be able to protect them, she was supposed to be a knight like her mother. But she could never live up to the shadow her parents cast on her, and everyone in Atara knew it. The Council, the Flying Pigs, and most of all the only surviving member of the Valiant besides her; Ki. Her hands would always been stained with their blood, her mind haunted by their ghosts, and her heart full of dread. 

That’s when she sliced her hand open with the table saw. The blade cutting through her skin much easier than the wood and immediately her hand began to spray out blood.

“Oh, fuck.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	7. Chapter 7

She hadn’t been inside of Dr. Xu’s clinic until now, but she liked the small room much better than the larger clinics of Atara or Grace. Dr. Xu was friendly enough and Dawn had already concluded that she liked Phyllis from their talk they had in the Round Table. They stopped the bleeding and wrapped up her hand within an hour. She didn’t feel anything until she got to the staircase leading up the hill to the clinic, shock is one hell of a thing. 

“What happened Dawn?” Phyllis asked while Xu was putting away the bandages they had used.

“I uh didn’t get a good night’s rest last night so I’ve been distracted all day. It was a stupid mistake, really.” She answered, looking down at her left hand where the cut had split her skin open from the knuckle of her thumb down to her palm. 

“Well we all make mistakes, you’re lucky you didn’t lose your thumb.” Phyllis said, looking directly into her eyes while Dawn avoided looking at hers. “What happened last night to make you stay up?” Dawn looked up at Phyllis, considering her options.

“A bad dream,” She answered honestly. “Not anything unusual or worth noting.”

“But bad enough to keep you awake?” Phyllis said, not really asking more talking to herself than anything.

“Dawn, have you ever considered therapy?” Dr. Xu asked.

“Yeah, the Council had me see a therapist when I was discharged from the Flying Pigs.” She said. “Doctor River P’an in Atara, to be precise.” 

“What was her conclusion?”

“She wanted to have more sessions with me, but I didn’t stay in Atara long on that visit, as I had business in Barnarock.” 

“Would you consider continuing your therapy here in Portia?” He asked, finally getting to the root of this conversation. Dawn considered it for a moment. If she said no, he would most certainly think something was wrong with her and inform the Mayor if he thought she was dangerous to herself or the people around her. If she said yes people in town might find out and think she’s crazy on top of all of the other things they whispered about her as she passed. 

“Maybe, but for now I think I should get home and rest.” She said, non-committal and got up from the bed they had her lay down on.

“Try to get some sleep,” Xu advised.

“And don’t overwork yourself.” Phyllis added. Dawn smiled and thanked both of them before she left. 

She walked halfway back to her workshop before realizing she didn’t want to be home. Looked up toward the Church of Light, wondering if she should pay her respects, then to the Round Table, wondering if she should drown herself in alcohol. By the time she made it to the statue of Peach she hadn’t made up her mind. 

Django was in front of the Round Table, a bronze sword in his hand that he seemed to be lazily slashing around in a flashy fashion. A little blond boy, Toby, watching him with deep interest from a safe distance away. She lingered around the fountain, watching Django smile slyly pretending he didn’t notice Toby. She looked down at her hand, faintly seeing the trail of blood that she left running to the clinic and was sure that someone saw her in her moment of panic. She knew it wouldn’t be long before everyone in town knew as well. She thought of the peace she found at the stream behind the Tree Farm and decided that she would go there.

She heard the flapping of wings before she even reached the gates to the Tree Farm, as she walked through the wooden pillars, she saw the source. A sea of panbats, all flapping near the top of the trees. Aadit was putting out a makeshift bonfire beneath the main cluster of them as Dawa caught sight of her and ran toward her.

“What’s going on Dawa?” She asked, pointing up to the bats. “Is there a convention or something?”

“More like a swarm, I don't know why, but the panbats have been coming out of the swamp and into our Tree Farm since last month.” He began, out of breath. “This morning we woke up to this, preventing anyone from getting near the farm.”

“Do you need a hand?” She offered, motioning to her sword strapped to her back. 

“We don’t want to kill the poor things, only make them go away,” He explained. “If they keep this up, they are going to suck all of the nutrients from our trees.” Aadit joined them, running up to them.

“We’ve tried everything, fire, water, cotton candy, you name it, but they just won't go away. The Civil Corps came this morning and they're as clueless as us,” He said the desperation apparent in his tone. “We talked with Higgins, but he's afraid of the panbats, so you are our only hope left.” Dawn thought for a moment.

“Back when I would travel around my friend would play her fiddle really loud and badly to scare the panbats away, maybe if we can make a loud noise like that it will drive them away.” She proposed.

“That’s a great idea,” Aadit said, then crossed his arms and thought for a moment. “Only we don’t have anything that can make a noise like that around here.”

“How about Merlin and Petra? Maybe they can come up with something like that to help us.” Dawa suggested. 

“Like a relic? I don’t know…” Aadit said, hesitant. “The Church of Light says we should use them as little as possible and I don’t like messing around with that sort of thing.” 

“What other choice do we have?” Dawa asked. “I am not afraid of using whatever the Research Center can draw up.”

“No harm in asking, anyway,” Dawn said taking note of Aadit’s hesitation. “I’ll go ask and see what we can do.”

“Yes, please,” Dawa said. “Let us know how it goes.” He turned back to the Tree Farm, looking upon all of the bats and his shoulders slumping slightly. Aadit gave Dawn a look of uncertainty, then followed Dawa back toward the horde of panbats.

As she turned to leave, she glanced back down at her hand, the pain lessened. She thought that maybe the pain would remind her that she’s still alive; whether or not she deserves to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	8. Chapter 8

The Research Center did have some ideas of things that they could use to save the Tree Farm, but Petra informed her that it would take a couple of days for them to put a blueprint together that she could follow. After thanking them and taking her leave she was determined to head straight back to the farm.

“Hey builder!” She heard a voice call her from across Peach Plaza, she turned to see Django leaning on his sword a sly smile on his face like he knew something she didn’t. He motioned her over to him. Dawn took a deep breath, dreading this conversation, but turned and walked as confidently as she could over to him. “You’ve been avoiding me.” He said plain as day.

“I’ve been busy.” She said plainer back to him. He shook his head. “I happen to be busy right this moment, so if you got something to say then say it.” She told him crossing her arms mainly to hide her bandaged hand from him. 

“Come to the Round Table tonight and we’ll talk.” He said. “I’d hate to keep you from your work.” He knew she couldn’t say no.

“Alright. I’ll see you tonight.” She said and turned to walk away. She could hear him pick his sword back up and begin practicing with it once more. 

Night came all too soon. But she had made a promise and Dawn made an effort to keep her promises. So, she headed to the Round Table. It was a weekday, so the tavern wasn’t as occupied as usual. The only other patrons being Presley, Alice, and her little brother Jack. Django was waiting at the bar, a drink in front of him already and another beside him obviously for her. Dawn took her time and walked to sit beside him at the bar.

“Beautiful night is it not?” Django asked as soon as she sat down. “But I would watch the clouds if I were you builder, seems a storm is coming on.”

“Where you a fortune teller as well as a knight?” She asked sarcastically, drinking as much of the rainbow cocktail as she could, only to realize there was no alcohol in it; only lemonade. 

“No but I think that would have been an interesting career path choice if I didn’t own a tavern.” He said. “Being a builder is an interesting choice too.”

“I’ve always been good with my hands. My aunt taught me everything she knew about building before she passed.” Dawn explained. “She thought it might interest me enough to forget about being a…” 

“Adventurer?” Django offered.

“Yeah, an adventurer.” Dawn said. “It keeps the mind occupied at least."

“How long did you ‘adventure’?” He asked.

“Around six years, what about you?”

“Ten. Before retiring.” He said.

“You must have started young.” She said having a good look at Django for the first time. He seemed around her age if not a little older, his tan skin showing obvious signs of wear but no scars where visible.

“I did.” He replied. “Early retirement suiting you Dawn?”

“Not going as smoothly as one might hope.” She said, thinking of her hand. 

“Do you miss it?”

“Yes,” She said thinking of her friends, the Valiant. Ki, Ji, Lyra, and Inigo. “Parts of it.”

“So, what lead you to it?” He asked, smiling through his steady drinking.

“What is this an interview?” She asked right back.

“In a way,” He answered. “Last question, on my honor.” Dawn knew he wasn’t kidding but that didn’t stop her from rolling her eyes at him.

“My mother was a… adventurer.” She answered. “She wanted me to be the same. It was her dying wish.” His smile grew, stretching across his entire face now.

“Well if it’s any consolation prize you passed.” He said, finishing his drink.

“Gee thanks do I get a certificate? I’ll put it up next to my builder’s license.” She joked. He laughed; a sound much deeper than she expected.

“I’ll work on it,” He said amused. Dawn shook her head and got up from her chair. “Hey,” He said stopping her from walking away. She turned back to him.

“Yeah?”

“You’re a good person Dawn, no matter what tells you different. You are honorable and worthy of admiration.” He said knowing it was exactly what she needed to hear and coming from someone like him it made the world of a difference. She clenched her fist, feeling a sharp pain pierce through her hand. “Whatever you are dealing with, you and I both know you are strong enough to survive it. It’s in your blood.” She knew he was right, but she chose not to reply, instead walking out of the Round Table and into the cool night air. 

She thought she would take Dr. Xu up on his offer after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	9. Chapter 9

She woke up the next morning to a smashed mailbox and a vaguely threatening note. 

Little pest,  
You might notice work is a little harder this morning without your precious mailbox. It'll be even harder to work without your Resource Box. Quit doing stuff around town like you're some sort of gift to Portia and leave.  
X

She wondered at who in town would send a message like that to her as she fixed her mailbox with spare wood she had lying around. She thought it was a bit annoying if anything at all. It only delayed her morning by thirty or so minutes, and it rang of bitterness. Who would be bitter that she arrived and started doing building work around Portia? Higgins was her first thought, as this was cowardly and certainly something she could see the man doing. But the act of destroying her mailbox, a task any builder could fix within half an hour, didn’t seem like him. But for all she knew it could be, so she decided to give the Civil Corps the opportunity to try to figure it out. She was already much too busy trying to solve the Tree Farm’s panbat problem anyway.

Portia was quiet in the afternoons, especially during the week. Everyone was too preoccupied or involved with their daily work to pay anyone else much mind. It was days like this that Dawn fit right in, like a cog in a clock. Her mind as much at work as her body, always thinking of what she had to do next or where she had to go. The minutes melting into hours and sun setting much too fast across the horizon. She was determined to get the speaker working by sundown, putting her daily commissions on hold until she finished the thing.

When she finally got the speaker to work it was well past sundown. Yet she decided to walk over to the Tree Farm anyway, figuring that Dawa and Aadit would be glad to be rid of the pests at any time of day. Along the way she passed Remington, making his usual rounds around Portia but he paid her little mind as he passed by on his horse. Merely nodding toward her as a greeting then continuing his route. Sonia had told her that he was once a member of the Civil Corps in Lucien before being transferred to Portia. Dawn thought he looked the type, his shoulders square and jaw set as if he was expecting trouble. 

At night the Tree Farm was eerily dark. Nothing but the sound of the panbats flying around the tops of the trees and the occasional cricket could be heard. Dawn opened the gate half expecting to see Dawa outside of his house, but no one was around. The lights where on inside, so that reassured her. She approached and knocked lightly. A few moments later Dawa answered.

“Dawn,” He whispered in surprise. 

“I finished the speaker.” She said in the same hushed tone, showing him the finished speaker. “But I can come back tomorrow if you where about to call it a night.” 

“No, no, the sooner we get the panbats away from the trees the better it’s just that…” Dawa opened the door slightly more and looked behind him inside. “Aadit is sleeping already, tossing and turning as he usually does.” 

“Oh,” She said in reply. Then without thinking, “How often does he have trouble sleeping?”

“Almost every night. Must be hard for him, being a refugee from the border.” Dawa answered. He stepped out of the house and shut the door softly behind him. “He woke up screaming last night and refused to go back to sleep. So, I don’t want to wake him when he’s actually getting some shut eye in.” 

“I understand,” She said. “I wish I could help somehow.”

“Nah, you’ve done…” He stopped himself midsentence, thinking for a moment. “Actually, maybe if you made him a new pillow or something? Maybe that'll keep him from waking up.” He suggested. Dawn doubted it would, she knew that it wasn’t his discomfort that kept him awake at night.

“Alright, I’ll see what I can do.” She said anyway, handing the speaker over to Dawa. “I’ll be back in the morning to help you two turn it on.”

“Thanks builder,” He replied, putting the speaker down on his porch. “See you in the morning.” 

She took her leave from the Tree Farm, thinking back to the conversation she had with Aadit a few days ago. The things he told her. She knew now what he was running away from, why he had come to Portia. The Duvos Empire and Ethea both claiming ownership of the Orzu Ruins and the Free Cities in the middle of it, trying not to break peace with either country. The fighting at Lucien never pausing during these years of “peace”. She wondered if he was a refugee from Lucien or from Duvos, but ultimate she knew it mattered little. Fire burns on all sides. 

Dawn could feel the heat from the fire against her skin as she smothered it out with her hands. She expected the pain across her leg and palms, but she felt nothing. For a moment, as brief as it was, she felt fireproof. Holding that feeling close to her chest she began to run. Now feeling her leg unable to hold her weight, but still no pain. She looked around her, searching for her mother or someone she knew but found no one. People shouting in the distance and the overwhelming smell of burnt flesh in the air. Panic began to settle in, and her heart was racing. She only had so much time before the adrenaline faded and the pain replaced it. She had to run for the hills, she knew there her mother was waiting for her. The fire surrounded her, making it impossible to see anything past it. She could feel herself suffocating before the darkness took her.

Dawn awoke with a start, clutching her bedsheets and breathing heavily. She reached for her throat, making sure that she wasn’t actually in danger of suffocating. She was so tired of the nightmares, they seemed never-ending. Every time she shut her eyes, she was in the ruin or saw the ashes of Lucien. Flashes of the life she lived before coming to Portia that she was sure she would carry for the rest of her life.

But with these ghosts came hope. She knew that. A new day was just beginning, and she was determined to make the most of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Expect the next chapter very soon!


	10. Chapter 10

This mailbox thing was becoming a problem. Dawn went outside her house and immediately noticed that her mailbox was, yet again, in pieces. She hadn’t heard anything back from Arlo or the rest of the Civil Corps about who could be behind this, and she was much too busy to go play detective anyway. So, she just took a deep breath, pushing down her rising annoyance, and went to fix the mailbox once more.

In the middle of fixing it Dawn noticed the local stray cat, Pinky. Dawn absolutely adored Pinky and always went out of her way to try to get the cat to like her. So far she had been fairly successful, as sometimes Pinky would follow her around town but she rarely ever left the town so seeing her coming towards her workshop was odd. The cat meowed lightly at her and Dawn sat on the floor outside of her gate in response.

“Hello to you too Pinky,” She said in a tone slightly higher than her normal speaking voice. “What do I owe this honor?”

Pinky walked past Dawn, rubbing herself on her leg as she did. Dawn got up, figuring she was just exploring and picking up her hammer once more but then Pinky meowed again. Louder this time, like she was trying to her Dawn’s attention. Curious, Dawn put down her tools and started walking towards Pinky. The cat immediately started walking once more, looking back every now and then to make sure Dawn was following her. Amused and wildly curious, Dawn followed Pinky to Amber Island. Pinky stopped right outside of the cave entrance and looked at her expectantly.

Approaching the cave Dawn heard someone inside, talking rather loudly. That immediately put her on edge, reaching for her sword strapped to her back. She crept in the cave and saw two figures inside, one larger than the other. 

“'Nother one smashed. Shouldn't be long now.” The taller one said. Dawn immediately knew who these two where. Tuss and Huss. She should have figured they where the ones breaking her mailbox. Who else would be dumb enough to do something like that?

“And those Civil Corps fools are still running around like chickens with their heads cut off. Revenge sure is sweet! That little pest will regret wrecking our collection scam.” Tuss said. Dawn sighed, thinking about going to get Arlo so the Civil Corps could deal with them. She turned to leave the entrance of the cave when she heard Tuss call to her. “It’s you!” He said, surprised. She turned back around and saw them both staring at her.

“Yeah, it’s me.” She said, standing her ground. “I was just about to go get the Civil Corps to deal with you two because I don’t want to do it.”

“Scared? Well, whatever! I guess we'll have to move forward a few steps in the plan.” Tuss replied, walking forward, and rolling up his sleeves. Dawn narrowed her eyes at them and looked at her sword, as both of them were unarmed and still they thought this was a good idea.

“This time we smash you for good!” Huss said, running toward her going to tackle her. She planted herself in the ground, putting her sword back into its holster.

“You don’t want to do this,” She said to them, putting her hands up. Huss lowered himself to smash into her, putting his elbow out in front of him. They collided, but Dawn was not about to let herself be knocked over. She put her arms out in front of her and when he hit, she used his momentum against him and lifted him off the ground. He was heavy but she managed to shove him away, causing him to be knocked to her side. “Last warning.” She said and walked around the cave, looking directly at Tuss. He scoffed and ran towards her.

Dawn unsheathed her sword once more and planted it into the ground beside her sticking it into the dirt of the cave floor. Tuss ran towards her but at the last moment, jumped to her left going for the back of her head. She ducked down, sweeping his legs out from under him.

Huss was back on his feet, running towards her yet again. Instead of staying put Dawn also rushed toward him but swerved as they were about to collide. Huss ran straight into Tuss who was just getting back up from the ground himself.

“Ugh,” Tuss said, now back on the dirt. Dawn took this moment to ready herself once more, now in the middle of the cave. It was a few moments before they got back up.  
“I told ya she was one of them scary ones.” Huss said to his brother.

“Its one against two, we got this.” Tuss said trying to reassure his brother. Huss just nodded in response. 

“Let me know when you two are done.” Dawn said, Tuss rolled his eyes and looked toward his brother motioning at Dawn. They both approached her at once, Huss coming straight for her while Tuss circled her.

Huss went for a direct punch, but Dawn was expecting it. She grabbed his forearm and twisted, causing him to shout in pain. Tuss, from behind, jumped on her back attempting to lock his arms around her neck. Dawn spun around, using Tuss’ feet to knock Huss away then grabbing the smaller man by his coat and pulling him off of her. Huss used this distraction to barrel into her, knocking her to the floor on the other side of his brother. 

Dawn quickly got back to her feet, in time enough to see Tuss grabbing a metal pipe from the floor and Huss running towards her yet again. Dawn ran to her sword, still planted in the ground. Huss got to her first, using his momentum to get a good swing at Dawn which she narrowly avoided. He went in for another immediately, swinging with his entire body weight. Dawn moved to the side and pulled her sword from the ground, using the blunt handle to hit him in the back of his head effectively knocking him out. She turned back to Tuss who was running at her, pipe in hand. She threw her sword to the side and stopped him mid-swing. 

She yanked the pipe out of his hands, being much stronger than the smaller man, and tossed it aside. Tuss obviously didn’t know how to respond to this, especially now that his brother was out of the fight. He looked to his brother, then back to Dawn who was looking at him with an expression that could only be described as utter annoyance.

“Done?” She asked. He steeled his expression and went in for a punch, but Dawn did the same to him as she did to his brother, grabbing his forearm and swinging him with ease toward his brother. He made a loud thud as he hit the ground. She went to collect her sword.

“...Uuhh... why couldn't you just... pay up the first time..?” Tuss asked, helping his brother to his feet while holding his own head in pain. “Run away!” He said and they scurried off deeper into the cave.

Now Dawn had to tell Arlo that she, once more, was forced to take matters into her own hands. She wasn’t looking forward to the conversation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


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